THE Moonee Valley Racing Club has today changed the race meeting for this Friday 5th February from a Night meeting to a Twilight meeting.
The change in starting time has arisen from extensive cockatoo damage to cabling connecting lighting on up to half of the 60 plus lighting towers.
A large flock of cockatoos have settled at the Moonee Valley Racecourse over the past week and damage to the majority of lighting towers was identified yesterday afternoon.An audit of this damage shows that while the lighting is still operational, the wiring is now exposed and any moisture into the high voltage cables could cause the lights to fail. Rain is forecast for Thursday and Friday.
With this meeting offering prizemoney of $560,000, Moonee Valley has taken the proactive position by eliminating uncertainty and providing the best option for all industry participants by re-scheduling the meeting as a twilight meeting.
The first race will now begin at 4.15pm and the last scheduled for 7.45pm with 30 minute gaps in between races. Gates will open at 3pm. The race programme set for this Friday 5th February 2010 is now as follows:
Race 1 4.15pm Valley Events Plate
Race 2 4.45pm Tatts Group Handicap
Race 3 5.15pm BIG6 Plate
Race 4 5.45pm Clayton RSL Handicap
Race 5 6.15pm Simon Wragg & Associates Super Vobis Handicap
Race 6 6.45pm Sportingbet Handicap
Race 7 7.15pm Pulse Pharmacy Handicap
Race 8 7.45pm Legends After The Last
All races will be complete 45 minutes before the sunset time of 8.30pm.
The lighting towers that service the Harness Racing track have not been impacted to the same extent as the lighting towers on the grass track.
All Harness Racing Towers have been inspected and have been passed to allow the Hunter Cup-Farwell to the Valley meeting schedule for Saturday night to proceed without change.
The Moonee Valley Racing Club is engaging Falcons to disperse the flock of over 2000 cockatoos and all light towers will be fully operational prior to the next night meeting on Friday 19th February.
MOONEE VALLEY RACING CLUB MEDIA RELEASE
CONTACT: Leigh Newton PR & Marketing Executive 0419 355 762
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